Infection
This is the season for infections, cases rising: Docs
Jul
“Up to 15% rise has been witnessed in conjunctivitis cases, particularly among middle-aged patients. School-going children are also returning with eye infections both viral and bacterial (infection),” said Prof Arun Sharma, senior faculty department of ophthalmology, King George’s Medical University (KGMU).
Infections are causing various health issues, including gastric problems, eye infections and skin ailments. Doctors say this situation is likely to continue for the next couple of weeks.
“Up to 15% rise has been witnessed in conjunctivitis cases, particularly among middle-aged patients. School-going children are also returning with eye infections both viral and bacterial (infection),” said Prof Arun Sharma, senior faculty department of ophthalmology, King George’s Medical University (KGMU).
Hospitals across the state capital are getting people coming in with complaints of diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain and dehydration.
“Infections are of three main types, where viral infection is causing fever, cold, and cough rapidly within hours. The bacterial infection takes a few days, while the fungal infection has an incubation period over a week. But all these infections are caused when the moisture is high in the air, which is the present case,” said Dr AK Singh, director Balrampur Hospital. At Balrampur Hospital at least 10 patients of infectious disease were admitted to the emergency wing in the past 24 hours.
“We are witnessing a rise of up to 15% in cases of infectious diseases in the OPD. At least 4 or 5 patients are being admitted daily for the last one week. But the silver lining is they recover fast as a majority of them are not serious,” said Dr Ajai Shankar Tripathi, medical superintendent, Lok Bandhu Hospital.
“Among the elderly, the issue is even worse as their immunity is low. Most of the elderly have delayed symptoms and their ailment takes longer to cure. It is advised to provide freshly cooked food and clean drinking water to all in the family. For elderly, the water may be boiled at least till October,” said Dr Abhishek Shukla, secretary-general, Association of International Doctors.
People are also experiencing skin trouble due to fungal infections. “Fungal infection happens mostly by wearing clothes kept in damp places for days. If you take out clothes to wear and find they have absorbed moisture, keep them in the sun for some time,” said Dr Adarsh Kumar, senior consultant, plastic surgery, Ujala Hospital.
What doctors advise
# Eat fresh cooked food, avoid keeping food overnight
# Drink boiled water if you have any doubt on the drinking water you get at home/office
# Before wearing, keep clothes under the sun for some time if you find they have absorbed moisture or aren’t dry properly
